


Kissing In The Rain

by Tea__Bee



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Actor!Eddie Kaspbrak, Agent!Stan, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comedian/Actor!Richie Tozier, Director!Bev, Director!Bill, Director!Mike, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, I don't know if I'd call them enemies at the beginning, Indie Film Actors, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, PA/intern/Director's assistant!Georgie, agent!Ben, but they definitely don't like each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2020-12-20 17:49:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21060707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea__Bee/pseuds/Tea__Bee
Summary: "If people were rain, I was drizzle, and he was a hurricane."Actor Eddie Kaspbrak keeps getting cast in romantic pairings with Comedian-turned-actor Richie Tozier. He doesn't understand why so many casting directors think they have this much chemistry. And then he does.Based off of the Kissing in the Rain series from Shipwrecked





	1. Eddie & Richie

Storming up the stairs to his studio apartment, rain pouring down and making a deafening noise on his umbrella, he heard footsteps splash behind him. 

"Eddie, come on, wait!" 

He rolled his eyes and rounded on the taller man, water whipping off his umbrella as he turned. 

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm an idiot, but please don't leave, I-I need you." The scruffy brunette's eyes were soft and sincere behind his glasses and Eddie couldn't take it. 

"Maybe I don't," Eddie scoffed. "Need you. Ever think of that?" His hands gripped the umbrella staff to keep him from reaching out. 

"I know you don't." Pushing the sopping wet hair off his forehead, he looked down at Eddie. "But, shit, look at me. I'm standing here, freezing, in the pouring rain. For you!" He gestured wildly, water spraying from his fingertips. "And I'll keep standing here. Forever. Because I can't do this without you."

"Richie…" Eddie sighed.

_ "Please,  _ Eddie." Richie looked like it might be tears, and not just rain, streaming down his face if Eddie didn't forgive him.

"No." Eddie could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "You're ridiculous! You're insufferable, and you know it. You never think before you speak, your jokes aren't funny, and you-you're  _ too tall!" _

Richie shook his head, chuckling and stepping closer, so they were nearly chest to chest, "I know." He put his hand tentatively on Eddie's arm. "I love you, too." His other hand moved to Eddie's cheek as Eddie looked at him, trying to find a reason to pull away. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I lo-"

"Oh, shut up," Eddie whispered as he reached up, threading his fingers through Richie's hair, standing on his tiptoes to kiss him. He felt Richie sigh against him and wrap an arm around his waist to hold him up. The umbrella was caught between them and he could feel it pressing into his sternum, but he just pulled Richie closer. 

...

_ "Cut"  _ The director's voice cut in and Eddie Kaspbrack stepped back from his costar, comedian Richie Tozier. How they'd gotten cast in this indie film together, Eddie couldn't fathom, but he'd loved the script, so here he was, clutching an umbrella with cold fingers, his face and shirt-front wet from kissing the tall, rain soaked man who was trying to wipe the steam from his glasses with his soaked shirt. "Alright, we're gonna reset. Can we dry off Eddie, get his makeup fixed, go again in ten?" He loved working with Bev, she was a great director and her vision for this story was perfect, but if she made him keep kissing Richie for much longer he was going to snap.

The crew buzzed around the set, moving things around and checking lights and rain machines as Richie and Eddie stood awkwardly next to each other. They hadn't exactly talked much outside of filming their scenes. 

Eddie loved this project, besides finding it odd that the characters shared the actors' names, and Richie seemed to treat it like a joke half the time, goofing off while Eddie studied lines, teasing Eddie when he got too worked up about his character and the storyline. He had been dying to finally do a gay romance onscreen after coming out last year, and this was the first one that came across his desk that wasn't stereotyped and no one got fridged, so he was excited, dammit. And Richie, who had also come out right on the heels of announcing his turn to film after a string of vastly successful stand-ups, was ruining it for him. Bev had said they had amazing chemistry, but Eddie just couldn't see it. He was a good actor, so he could see how people were fooled. But Richie? The man was ridiculous.

Richie finally gave up on his glasses and pushed them back on his face before turning to Eddie with his hands shoved in his pockets. "So, uh, it's nice working with you, Eds. I really liked the script when my agent gave it to me. Um," he stopped for a second and chuckled to himself. "Sorry about all the, uh, all the  _ tongue." _

Eddie glanced sideways at him. "Don't call me that."

Richie got quiet for a few moments, but nothing shut him up for long. "Hey, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to, uh, go get some, uh, go out and grab din-"

"No, thanks." Eddie interrupted him. "Mm-mm." He looked away, wiping some of the artificial rain's moisture from his cheeks where Richie had touched him before. "Nope," he said, popping the 'p' for emphasis.

"Yeah, no, me neither." Richie stared off into the rafters of the soundstage. "I was just testing you."

"Okay, well. Cool, because, I don't." Eddie twirled the umbrella in his fingers, shooting water off in a spray.

Richie scratched at the bridge of his nose. "Glad we're on the same page, I, uh, I fucking hate food."

Eddie wrinkled his nose at him like he was an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this idea last night and I can't wait to write more! This first chapter is based more heavily on the youtube series than the rest will be, but the idea itself did come from KITR. 
> 
> Comments keep me going, I love to hear what the readers think, so plase reach out!
> 
> Bee


	2. James & Charlie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's subtle, and I only used one or two slang terms but the time period for the movie I made up for this is the 20s!

Eddie ran from his kitchen to his living room as he heard his cell ring. He'd been waiting to hear from his agent about a role he was dying to play in an upcoming film, and he couldn't believe he'd left his phone far enough away that he almost didn't hear it. "He-hello?" 

"Hey, Eddie," his agent, Stan said, his voice unreadable as always. He could never tell before the words came out of his mouth whether he'd gotten a part or not. 

"Stan! Come on, man, do you have news or what, I'm sort of dying over here," Eddie grumbled. "And, shit, burning my dinner." He tripped over his feet to get back to stirring the vegetables in the pan. "So? Heard anything yet?"

Stan laughed, "Yeah, Eddie, I just got off the phone with the casting director, I told you I'd call as soon as I heard. I know the waiting has been killing you."

"Yeah, dude, I'm sort of losing it, can you just tell me, please?" Eddie removed the overcooked vegetables from the heat. "I want this, this movie is going to be amazing, and I love this character. And his love story, it's so much softer than the last one, there's no arguing, no misunderstandings, there's just love. They have to hide it, but never from each other. God, Stan, if I'm not cast in this I still have to see it, it's just too good."

"Well, I have good news and bad news for you, Kaspbrak." Stan paused long enough for Eddie's heartbeat to start to thunder in his ears. "You got the part, Eddie, you get to be James in  _ Remember My Name." _

_ "Yes! Fuck _ yeah, Stan, oh my god, I'm James." He danced in less-than-graceful circles around the kitchen. "I'm James! I can't fucking  _ wait _ this is going to be amazing. Who's the other second lead? Who's going to be Charlie?" Whoever was chosen to play Charlie, James' childhood best friend turned love, who always found James when he was hiding from the rest of the world, who knew when James was spiraling too deep into his thoughts, who made James laugh when he thought he'd never laugh again, was almost more important to Eddie than Eddie himself getting to play James. 

“Well,” Stan paused. 

“Please tell me it’s someone good, I don’t know if I can do this if it’s someone I have to force chemistry with.” Eddie started to pace. “I screen-tested with a lot of people, but I don’t remember any of them fit the way I felt like we should, you know? And I-”

“Eddie, you need to calm down, it’s just a movie.” Stan sighed.

“It is  _ not _ just a movie, Stan, not to me, you know that.” 

“Okay, yeah, I know, I know. Look, Charlie is… That’s my bad news.” 

“What? Oh, shit, please tell me it isn’t that guy, that, uh… what was his name, I don’t even remember, the guy that looked like a Disney prince but couldn’t seem to look me in the eye the whole time we were reading together?” Eddie flopped down on the couch and pulled his legs up underneath him, waiting for Stan to answer. The other end of the line was silent for long enough to make him worry even more. “...Stan?”

“It’s not him. You’re still not gonna like it, though.” Stan finally replied.

“Stan, can you just  _ tell me _ already?” Eddie squeaked at him.

“Um, it’s Richie Tozier, the comedian.” It was Eddie’s turn to be silent and Stan pressed on. “You’ve played opposite him before, remember? That indie thing where you guys weirdly had the same names as your characters? Eddie?”

“Yeah, I’m here. I just,” he sighed. “I have to wrap my head around this. I didn’t even screen test with him, how the hell?”

“They’d already seen you together, they didn’t think they had to test your chemistry.” Stan sounded suspiciously like he was holding back laughter. 

“Oh,  _ God,  _ I can’t believe I have to deal with him  _ again.” _ Eddie groaned.

“You don’t, you know.” His agent reasoned. Stan was always so damn reasonable. “You could just turn it down.”

“I-I can’t, Stan.” 

“Yeah. I know. Okay, well I’ll send the paperwork and full script over with the courier in a bit, then. Don’t dwell on this whole Richie Tozier thing, okay, you were so excited about this role, don’t let him ruin it.” Stan knew he’d overthink and dwell anyway, but the sentiment was welcome.

“I know. I’m still excited. Thanks, Stan.” After he hung up, he stared at the ceiling until the courier showed up.

… 

Eddie-as-James lay on a blanket on the soft grass of the clearing, face turned up towards the treetops, and let the soft drizzle hitting his cheeks. He took a deep breath, the scent of the moisture permeating the soil filling his lungs, and smiled as he heard leaves crunching, recognizing his best friend’s footsteps approaching from the path. 

“What are you doing out here in the rain, James?” Eddie begrudgingly admitted that Richie perfectly captured Charlie’s fond-yet-exasperated tone. “It’s freezing.”

“Don’t be a flat tire, Charlie-boy.” He rose up on his elbows and looked up at him. “Come sit with me?” Charlie smiled at him and shed his long jacket and lay it on the corner of James’ blanket to sit on, still sheltered beneath his umbrella. “Close the umbrella, Charlie, you’re ruining the view!” James laughed. “Haven’t you ever just sat out in the rain and been soaked through to your bones? It’s lovely, really. It’s like… really being a part of the world. Like you belong.” He sat up and leaned closer, nudging Charlie’s umbrella and sending droplets cascading down onto the blanket and scattering across his shoulders. 

“You’re going to catch pneumonia out here, and then what would I do without you?” Charlie murmured with overwhelming warmth in his eyes, all for James.

James put a hand on Charlie’s chest, “If I were to die of pneumonia, Charlie, promise you’d make a beauti-”

Charlie dropped the umbrella, “Shit, oh my god, that’s so  _ cold!” _ He yelled as he gave a full-body shiver.

… 

_ “Cut! _ Jesus, Richie, what the hell was that?” The director, Bill, yelled before he and the rest of the crew started laughing at the face Richie pulled. Eddie flopped back down on the soaked blankets with a groan. 

"I'm sorry! Some water ran straight down my spine, I tried to hold the shake back, man, but it was so fucking cold." Richie was laughing now, too. He shimmied his shoulders, imitating his earlier reflexive movement. 

“Alright, can we reset?” 

… 

James put a damp hand on Charlie’s chest, rubbing his thumb across the fabric of his vest, “If I were to die of pneumonia, Charlie, promise you’d make a beautiful speech at my funeral. Bury me in a soft linen suit, surrounded by flowers in a pale wooden coffin, and wax poetic about how there was never such a tragic day, as the day you lost your best friend in the world.” 

Charlie watched him make his morbid-yet-slightly-romantic speech with a smile spreading across his face, unable to take his eyes from James’ mouth. He paused, pursing his lips in thought for a moment before closing the umbrella and setting it aside. He moved slowly, leaning closer to James, and said, whisper-soft, “I never want to spend a single day without you in it, James.” He said it like it was painful, like admitting it out loud would tear the fabric of their friendship, like this wasn’t what he and James have built towards for the ten years they’ve known each other.

James tilted his head questioningly at Charlie, hesitating. “You mean… because you’d miss your oldest friend, Charlie?”

Charlie tore his eyes from James’ and looked down with a sad smile. “Yes. Because you and I… because you’ve been my best friend for so long.” He looked back up through his lashes, into James’ eyes, and he couldn't help but zero in on his lips again, before settling, eyes pleading, on his eyes. 

James gave him a small smile and started to pull his hand from Charlie’s chest, but Charlie caught his hand. They both looked down at their hands, loosely joined, and James wove his fingers between Charlie’s. 

Charlie let out a breath and leaned forward, closing the already minimal gap and kissing James soundly. The hand that wasn’t joined with James’ gripped his waist, and he gasped as James’ free hand cupped his neck, anchoring him softly but steadily as the rain poured over them.

…

"Cut! That was great, guys, one more and we'll call this scene a wrap, alright? Let's take a quick break first, then we'll reset again in ten?" There was murmured agreement as the techs and actors moved around the set. Eddie walked over and picked at the snacks set out by craft services, Richie following behind him like a stray dog. 

Richie cleared his throat. “So, what kind of music are you into?”

Eddie looked at him over his shoulder for a second before turning back to inspect some over the cut-up fruit available. “We really don’t need to be friends.”

“You-” Richie scoffed. “You’re not a very nice person.” 

Eddie rolled his eyes with his back still turned to Richie. He didn’t deign to respond, and after a few moments of silence, he could hear the other man turn and walk away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eddie's sort of mean, you guys. 
> 
> Eventually, they'll sort things out, I promise!
> 
> Please leave feedback, it keeps me writing! I love reading through comments, it feeds my little writer soul.
> 
> Bee


	3. Thomas & Levi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't update for a while, been working on a fic that's super special and personal, that I unfortunately won't be publishing until it's 100% complete, and I got distracted! 
> 
> Hope you like this chapter! I loved the prom concept.

Working with Richie Tozier on a third movie had never crossed Eddie's mind, but here they were again. They hadn't really talked much, aside from running lines and expressing how weird it was that they could still play teenagers in their late twenties. Richie couldn't stop talking around everyone else though, and it was sort of grating on Eddie's nerves, though he supposed it was what he'd wanted. He'd told Richie they didn't need to be friends during  _ Remember My Name, _ and it seemed like he'd finally given Eddie his space. It wasn't until Eddie realized how friendly Richie was with literally  _ everyone _ that he felt like he'd overreacted and overstepped. 

On the first really big day of filming their new movie, there was nervous energy everywhere. Everyone moved with a sort of frantic immediacy, no one more frantic than Georgie Denbrough, who'd just been promoted from intern to directors assistant. Eddie had known Georgie through his older brother Bill, one of Eddie's close friends and the director of  _ Remember My Name, _ but hadn't worked with him yet. The kid was fresh from college, eager to please, and going a bit crazy from the stress. Eddie had sat down with him a few times and coached him through some anti-anxiety breathing exercises, and he could see him walking himself through one now over by where craft services was setting up breakfast for the cast and crew. He started to walk over to see if he needed any help, but Richie beat him to it, waving Georgie over and making him laugh by stuffing an insane amount of mini donuts into his mouth and trying to smile at Georgie around them. After finally swallowing down the donuts, he pulled Georgie in for a long hug. Georgie walked away looking much calmer, and Eddie had to give it to Richie, he knew how to make people laugh. 

Eddie walked over and poured himself a coffee while Richie was brushing crumbs off his shirt. "Good thing you haven't gotten dressed to film yet, huh?"

Richie looked startled, "Oh, yeah they'd probably kill me for pulling that in costume but Georgie needed a laugh, so as resident dancing monkey, I stepped in." He imitated crashing cymbals together in front of him, his large hands spread wide as he clapped with his eyes crossed and face goofy.

"Dancing monkey, huh? Not a clown?" Eddie laughed.

Richie's face went serious. "No. Never a clown."

"Oh. Sorry." Eddie grimaced.

Richie's face split in a grin again, "It's fine, Eds- sorry, right, Eddie. I just hate clowns, but not like you'd know that. Since we're not friends, and all." He popped an orange slice in his mouth, winked, and walked away, leaving Eddie staring after him.

… 

Thomas posed stiffly with his date, Ashley. Her curled, heavily hair-sprayed hair was scratching at his cheek as she leaned into him and her dress crinkled as she pulled his hands to settle on her waist. He smiled, lips thin and closed, as the photographer shot several pictures and let them go. 

“So… do you want to dance, Tommy?” Ashley shifted nervously and looked up at him through her lashes. 

“Oh, sure.” He looked at her for a long moment before realizing he was supposed to be moving. Ashley got impatient and grabbed his hand, leading him out onto the floor and pulling him close as a slow song started. She put her hands on his shoulders and he shifted automatically to settle his hands on her waist like he was supposed to, and they swayed. It was simple, easy. Easy enough that he found his eyes wandering and landing on…

Levi. The school’s resident bad-boy and Thomas’ unlikely friend. The last few weeks, since becoming Levi’s tutor for extra credit, they’d become closer and closer, and Thomas knew if he made a move, they’d be much more than friends. But he'd gotten scared, and he’d pulled away, asked Ashley to the prom, and he knew he’d hurt him.

Thomas swallowed and looked back down at his date, or more specifically, her shoulder. He felt her hands shifting from his shoulder to cup his neck, pulling him closer, and he looked away again, this time locking eyes with Levi where he was standing in the back corner of the gym, hands in the pockets of his long coat. He tilted his head, a curl falling over his forehead, and held Thomas’ gaze and Thomas could feel his heart clench. He wanted to go over, to reach out, to say something, anything, to get that look out of his eyes, to get him to smile.

Ashley cleared her throat and he startled as the song faded into a new one. “What are you looking at?”

“Um, nothing, just looking around. The decorations are nice. You were on the committee, right?” He remembered, making her smile.

“Yes! Julie wanted steamers, but tulle just seemed more fairytale, you know?” She chattered, then frowned, looking in the direction he’d been staring earlier. “Oh, Levi is here, barf. He’s so weird.”

“He’s not… He’s just a person, Ashley, he’s not weird.” Thomas pulled back and pushed her hands off of his shoulders. “He’s sweet, and kind, and funny, and he’s my-my friend.”

“Tommy-”

“No. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing here, this isn’t me.” He pulled off his jacket and the bow tie that he’d been pulling at all night and threw them onto a nearby chair. “My mom wanted me to ask a nice girl to the prom, I thought, why not? But you know what, you’re not even a nice girl, really, you’re pushy, and mean, and vapid, and I’m tired of pretending to have a good time.” He looked at her shocked, reddening face, and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, okay. Go find your friends, go have a good prom. Forget I ruined it.” He turned and walked, undoing the buttons on his cuffs and pushing his sleeves up over his elbows. He walked out the side entrance and into the pouring rain. He laughed, “Of course,” and leaned against the railing of the ramp landing. He could feel the rain soaking him through his shirt, and he pushed his hair out of his face and looked over as the door creaked open behind him. 

Levi stood under the awning with a small smile on his face. "Hey."

He blinked at him, unsure of what to say. "It's raining on prom night. Ironic." Levi chuckled and stepped out into the rain with him, his curls flattening in the downpour. Thomas wrinkled his nose as the rain streamed down his face, "This whole night has been such a mess." He ran his the back of his hand over his eyes, trying to clear the rain away. "How'd you know I was out here?"

"Watched you walk out. Thought you could use a friend." He looked at him, eyes soft and sincere.

"Sure, because we've been such good friends lately." Thomas grumbled, shaking his head. "Look, I'm sorry I-"

"Don't worry about it. Things happen. Here," Levi shucked his coat off and put it around Thomas' shoulders. "You look cold." 

Thomas took in Levi's dark blue suit that he hadn't been able to see beneath the large black coat, and the cream shirt underneath. His tie was crooked, and a different blue than his suit, but it looked perfect on him. "You look good." It was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he blushed. 

"Yeah?" Levi's smile spread.

Thomas took a breath and decided to be brave. "Yeah." He saw a blush spread across Levi's cheeks and smiled, tipping his head like a challenge. "We should dance."

"We… there's no music." Levi started to laugh, and tried to blow a curl out of his face, sputtering when water streamed into his mouth even as he blew out. "And in case you haven't noticed, it's pouring."

Thomas shrugged, Levi's coat shifting around his legs, "It's just a little rain." He reached out and curled his fingers around Levi's hand. "And if you close your eyes, and listen closely, I'm sure you'll be able to hear the music." He watched as Levi's eyes shut and he tilted an ear toward the gym, straining to hear the music from the dance for a moment before Thomas laughed and started to hum. 

His eyes popped open and he looked at Thomas, surprised. "Oh." He laughed quietly and circled his arms around his waist, pulling him in. 

Thomas locked his hands behind Levi's neck and smiled up at him, still humming. "Hey, Levi?"

"Yeah, Thomas?"

"I-" He twirled a finger in the curl next to Levi's face, then ran a thumb over his cheek, pulling him closer. 

"I know." Levi leaned down, their foreheads bumping lightly, and waited. 

Thomas bit his lip, nervous, then smiled hesitantly and stood on his tiptoes, brushing his lips over Levi's once, then twice, before tilting his head on a sigh and pressing closer, nipping at Levi's bottom lip. He felt Levi's restraint break, finally, and let out a sound like a whimper as he felt his hands slip under his own jacket onto Thomas' waist, his fingers warm through the soaked-to-sheer fabric of his dress shirt, and rub circles into the skin under his ribs. 

…

"Cut! I don't love this lens for this scene, can we hold and take a look at something different?" 

Eddie stepped back from Richie, shivering. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of some of the chilly water. Why they couldn't use warmer water was beyond him. He looked over at Richie, who was chatting quietly with Georgie about something a few feet away, and sighed. He knew he'd been rude to Richie during past projects. Since working with the comedian more, he'd come to realize that though the man had made his living on pandering jokes before, he was a good actor. He took his roles seriously, similar to how Eddie did, but he still had fun, still made friends on every project he worked on. Eddie felt stupid for jumping to conclusions about him, but he wasn't really sure how to apologize. 

His train of thought was interrupted by Georgie running back over, though he hadn't noticed he'd left in the first place, and handed a thick blanket to Eddie, saying, "Richie thought you might want this, you're shaking."

Eddie took it, his jaw dropping as he looked over at Richie, who was sitting in a chair getting his hair dried off and his makeup fixed. "He asked you to get me a blanket?"

"Well, yeah. He said you seemed cold and asked if I could find a blanket or a towel to warm you up." He said it like it was so simple, and not like it was something that Eddie was going to end up dwelling on for too long later on when he had some time to himself. "Oh, and costumes needs Levi's coat, they need to dry it off for the next take." He chirped, bringing Eddie back to the moment. 

"Oh, sure. Hey, Georgie, you're doing a really good job. I'm glad you're here." Eddie said, peeling the wet jacket off and handing it over. As Georgie blushed and thanked him, the praise overwhelming him before he walked away, Eddie looked back at Richie, who he found was looking back. He lifted the blanket, mouthed 'thank you', and Richie nodded and looked away again, starting up a conversation with the makeup artist that was helping him. Eddie wrapped himself in the blanket and stood looking at his feet until he was called to reset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for comments, please tell me what you thought!
> 
> Bee


	4. Theo & Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapter updates in two days? What?

Eddie Kaspbrak was always early, and almost always the first to arrive. And since he was especially excited for this project, a sweet and slightly melodramatic short his friend Mike Hanlon was directing for an LGBT film festival in the spring, he was extra early for the table read. But somehow, he still wasn’t the first one there.

Richie Tozier was, sitting in the chair marked for his character’s love interest, Daniel.

"Again?" Eddie shook his head. He had wanted to start fresh, hadn't looked at the cast list, and apparently that had been a mistake. 

"Again. Did you seriously not know I was going to be here?" Richie didn't even look up at him as he spoke. Things had been tense between them on their last project, and apparently that wasn't going to change now. 

"I-I didn't check the cast list," he admitted, feeling stupid saying it out loud. He sat at the chair marked with his name and his character, Theo’s.

“No, I just figured your mom would’ve told you.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows and blinked in shock. "She- What?"

Richie just looked at him as the joke sunk in. "You know, since I told her in bed last week?"

"Oh,  _ god, _ what the  _ fuck _ is wrong with you?" Eddie laughed despite himself. "You actually make money off comedy, right? Like, how?"

Richie laughed, then looked down at his phone as it started to ring. He picked it up without saying anything else to Eddie and walked out the door. “Hey, Ben, what’s up? No, I’m not busy, table read doesn’t start for a while.” Eddie could hear him through the open door, and tried not to listen in, but sue him, he was curious. “Yeah, I actually got here first, if you can believe it. Hey, you’re my agent, why are you mean to me? No, no, I’m sorry, I know you’re a fucking saint on earth, gracing us lowly humans. Um, yeah, he’s… yeah. No, because  _ we’re not friends, _ remember?” Eddie’s jaw dropped. Richie was talking about him, and he didn’t seem happy at all about being here with him. “I know I do, and you know I do. But it doesn’t matter, because he- No, it doesn’t. Hey, you know what  _ I _ want to talk about? Your date with one Ms. Marsh! Ohhh,  _ now  _ you have to go, sure. Sure. Yeah, I’ll play nice. I always play nice, I'm not really the issue here. Yeah. Talk to you later, Handsome Hanscom.” Eddie heard him walking back and quickly pulled out his phone, focusing intently on an old text chain and trying to pretend he hadn’t been snooping as Richie came back in and sat back down across from him.

…

He stopped, his hand on the side entrance to the church, and took a deep breath. He pulled his hand back, running his fingers through his curly hair and wiping his eyes under his glasses. He took one more steadying breath and opened the door with a creak, peeking in and looking both ways down the hall to make sure no one would see him. He heard a woman yelling, screeching almost, something about a bridesmaid sitting on a bouquet, and ran the other direction down the hallway, finding the door marked 'groom's dressing suite', and ducked in, pressing the door shut quietly with his back turned to the room.

"Daniel? Wh-what are you doing here?" He heard behind him. 

He felt like he couldn't breathe, but he turned around as calmly as he could, a smile on his face. "Hey, Theo. You look… wow. You look amazing." He could feel tears welling up in his eyes already, and dammit, he didn't want to cry, but Theo looked like he'd always imagined he would on his wedding day. On  _ their _ wedding day, not Theo's wedding to some woman who was clearly a bridezilla, if the screeching voice was hers. 

Theo smoothed his hands over his vest, brushing at nonexistent lint. "Thanks. You shouldn't be here, this part of the church is for the wedding party to get ready. Y-you RSVP'd no. You told me you couldn't stand up there as my best man, and you said you wouldn't even  _ be here." _

"I know. I just, I couldn't. You know why I couldn't, I know you do. Or maybe you don't. Because, honestly?" He started to pace to keep himself from crying. "Honestly, if you knew, if you really knew, I don't think you'd be getting ready to marry someone right now if that person… if it wasn't me." Daniel looked up at Theo as he stopped pacing, his hands shaking and his legs feeling like they'd give out if he kept going. 

Theo let out a soft chuckle, "I'm not going to lie to you, I… I've never been able to lie to you, Daniel. I have felt  _ so much _ in the last few weeks seeing you again that I didn't know I could even feel for another person. I won't deny that, but…" Theo scrubbed his fist under his eye like he was trying not to cry, too. "I made a commitment. My family is out there. Jenny's family is out there. We're… we're getting married today. We care about each other, I care-"

"Do you love her?" He couldn't stop the words from coming out.

"Daniel, come on. Why today, why now? Huh?" He didn't get a response, just watched as Daniel looked at his feet, so he continued. "I'm getting married today." He checked his watch. "I'm getting married in less than an hour. We can't turn back time. This is it, you know? Sometimes you don't get everything you've dreamed of. Sometimes you get something else. And that's enough to get by." 

Daniel sniffed, tears flowing down his face now, but he couldn't look up at Theo. He nodded, starting to back away, back toward the door, and he saw Theo reach out. He let out a sob at the gesture, at Theo still wanting to take care of him, even under the circumstances. 

Theo dropped his hand and sighed, "Here. I have… I brought this, I thought, if you weren't going to be here, I could still have something…" He turned and picked something up off the dressing table behind him, and held it out to Daniel, his eyes shining.

He sucked in a breath as his hand closed around the little book, and he looked up at Theo for a second, his eyes red behind his glasses, his bottom lip trembling. "You kept this?" Theo nodded with a bittersweet smile on his face, and fiddled with his cufflinks. Daniel opened it, and was greeted with dozens of pictures of him and Theo that spanned their whole friendship, from 4th grade to college and on for a few years of adulthood. "You added to it, too. I gave you this at the end of high school, when you went away to college." He lifts a hand to his mouth, trying not to cry even harder.

"Yeah. Every picture we took when we visited each other is there, I wanted to keep them all together. I wanted to keep…" He sighed. "Us. Together. You know I- I-"

He didn't make him say it out loud. "Can I… can I keep it?" Daniel's breath came in shudders as he tried not to fully break down in front of him. 

Theo nodded, chewing his bottom lip and looking heartbroken. An alarm went off, and he looked at his watch.

"I should let y-you go, can't have you be late." He saw Theo clench his jaw and start to speak. "No, I'm fine, really. These are… they're happy tears. I just want you to be truly happy, Theo. Just so, so happy." He backed up until his outstretched hand behind him found the doorknob. "That's all I ever wanted. I… I love you, Theo. You're my best friend." He gripped the door like a lifeline and looked at Theo one more time before turning around, the photo book pressed to his chest, and opening the door.

"Daniel, I-" He stopped at Theo's voice, but couldn't make himself turn back around. "I've  _ always _ loved you." He said it so softly, but also in a way that Daniel knew meant goodbye. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, choked back another sob and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Opening his eyes, he saw her, Theo's Jenny, at the other end of the hall, and he panicked, hiding behind a tall potted plant. Her dress was so big he wondered how she could even walk in it, how it fit through the little doorways of this old church. An older woman, maybe her mother, reached over and pulled her veil over her face, fluffing it for her as she lamented over the slightly crushed flowers in her hands. 

"And it looks like it's going to rain! On  _ my _ wedding day! How could this happen?" She whined, looking out the glass doors to the courtyard.

"That's why we rented tents, darling. And it doesn't look like it will rain until after the ceremony, we'll be at the ballroom by then, safe and dry, and you'll be married! Just think about how happy you'll be together, and forget the weather, dear." The woman patted her arm and gestured the cowering bridesmaids into the hallway and out the doors, and finally she and Jenny walked out, too. 

Daniel took a moment, his head down, and knew he had to see this through. He walked purposefully out the side door he'd come in, looping around the property with quick strides until he came to the outside entrance to the courtyard. He wasn't dressed for a wedding, so as he stood behind the last row of seats, next to the pole of the tent as far from the aisle as he could, he drew a few stares, but not from anyone he recognized. 

Soft music started almost as soon as he got there, and his heart leapt to his throat when he saw Theo, fully dressed including his jacket and tie now, enter the tent and walk down the aisle. He leaned down and kissed his mother's cheek when he reached her in the front row, then stood next to the officiant. What seemed to be a never ending stream of bridesmaids in tangerine satin filed down next, forming a line on the opposite side, and then the organ started to play clunkily. Jenny walked, slowly and as gracefully as she could in that monstrosity of a gown, down the aisle with her parents flanking her. Daniel clenched his jaw and watched helplessly. This was what Theo wanted. He could be here for him today, quietly and unseen, and then leave them to their life. 

The officiant droned on for what seemed like an eternity before reaching the dreaded 'speak now or forever hold your peace', but Daniel barely heard him, his eyes fixed on Theo, whose eyes never strayed from the officiant. He didn't even look at Jenny. As the officiant waited a few seconds to give anyone who wanted to object time to do so, Daniel gripped the photo book tight, his knuckles white, knowing he'd already had his say. Jenny looked out onto the crowd, almost challengingly, and Theo searched the crowd, finding Daniel's hiding spot in the corner. 

Theo opened his mouth, once, twice, gaping like a fish, before he shook his head and dropped Jenny's hands. "I'm sorry, I can't," he told her, barely loud enough to be heard at the back of the courtyard. 

There was a flurry of movement as Theo walked out of the side of the tent. Bridesmaids gasped and Jenny started to cry, her parents rushing to her side. Guests stood, unsure of what to do. Daniel stood stunned in his place, still feeling the intensity of Theo's gaze burning into him before he'd fled, before turning and escaping through the corner of the tent where the fabric split.

He couldn't make himself go back to the dressing area, so he went out to his car where he'd parked across from the side entrance of the church just as a clap of thunder shook the sky and rain began to pour down on him. He opened the door, then shut it again, shook his head and started to open it again before turning abruptly as he heard the creak of the church door. 

Running towards him, his vest, jacket, and tie gone and his shirt half open, was Theo. He crashed into him, pressing him against the side of his car, reached up and tangled his fingers in the curls on the back of his neck to pull him down into a kiss. Daniel's hands cupped his face, pulling him impossibly closer. 

…

“Cut! That was heartbreaking, you guys, wonderful. We’re gonna reset and shoot it one more time, alright?” Mike signalled for the rain machines to turn off, and turned to his assistant to dictate notes.

Eddie looked around before stuffing his hands in his pockets and sniffing, his nose cold from the artificial rain. He watched Myra, who was playing his jilted bride, laughing with a makeup artist and she got her mascara touched up from her put-upon tears. He bit the inside of his cheek before turning to his co-star. “So, Richie, can we-”

“Uh, nope.” Richie pulled out his phone and started typing quickly and erratically, like he was fake-texting. 

Eddie scoffed, and looked around for a set assistant. “Hey, Kay, can I get a touch up?” He watched her flag down a makeup artist and glanced at Richie, who was still engrossed in his phone. “And a mint?” He clicked the ‘t’ particularly forcefully, annoyed.

“Yeah,” Richie chimed in, oh so helpful, “Can he get a mint?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That fucking hurt to write. But it all just flowed out of my brain so quickly.
> 
> Let me know what you thought! I'm working on the next chapter already, and let me tell you... It's not gonna hurt less. I'm gonna need comments to keep me going.
> 
> Bee


	5. Alexander & Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some gore in this one, but it's not heavily described and it's all movie special effects. 
> 
> This one really got away from me.

The rainbow carpet at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival was a din of cameras flashing and voices calling names from the moment Eddie stepped out of his limo. He had arrived directly after Richie, as planned, their director, Mike Hanlon was in the vehicle behind him, and they all had a sit down with the press scheduled for an hour after their short premiered, so the three of them would be sticking close to each other for most of the evening. But apparently, Richie and Eddie weren't sticking close enough to each other for the ravenous paparazzi.

"Eddie, look over here!"

"Richie, this way!"

"Richie, Eddie, can we get the two of you closer?"

Mike had asked for them to act friendly on the carpet to avoid the press saying there was any bad blood among the cast, it wasn't the kind of story he wanted associated with the short, and they had agreed. The story should be the focus, not whatever was going on with them because of Eddie slighting Richie a few too many times. So Eddie scooted closer to Richie, and let the paps take pictures of them interacting, smiles plastered on their faces that looked plenty real, speaking in low tones observers wouldn't be able to pick up.

"Hey, Richie." He said, squinting up at him, the setting sun making a halo around Richie's head that made him almost painful to look directly at. "Do you know how long we're supposed to be out here?"

Richie nodded his head towards a camera, and they both stopped their slow stroll down the carpet, posing to show off their outfits. "The handlers are making sure we get enough pictures with the right press and that we don't hold anyone else up." He looked down at Eddie's outfit, a royal blue, well fitted suit jacket with matching tapered trousers. He'd opted for a light pink shirt, with the top two buttons undone and no tie. "Nice suit. Subtle." He reached up and brushed at Eddie's lapel, right above his heart, and Eddie felt his breath catch. 

Eddie covered his nerves with a laugh and put a hand on his hip, sweeping his jacket aside to reveal his rainbow striped suspenders. "I see we had at least one similar idea with our looks." 

Richie laughed and ran a thumb under his own pink, purple, and blue striped suspenders that ran down the front of his vintage Bowie shirt and clipped onto his black fitted jeans. "Represent, right?" Eddie found himself wanting to reach out and run his own fingers beneath the suspenders, and where the hell had that thought come from?

He cleared his throat and reached out to pull on one instead, letting it snap back and causing Richie to let out a yelp and laugh at him.

They both turned to the next round of cameras, emphasizing their suspenders and laughing together. Eddie was going to have to track down that picture, it was going to turn out really good. He looked around, wondering why Mike was taking so long to catch up, and found the director a few feet away, looking at him with an amused expression on his face before turning to answer to the calls of his name for a few more pictures before he was allowed to move on. It seemed like he wanted them to take pictures on their own for now, and save the pictures of the three of them together for later.

"Richie! Can you put your arm around Eddie?" A particularly bold pap yelled out, pulling Eddie back to the moment as Richie chuckled and complied, tucking Eddie under his arm. 

Eddie felt his face heating up, not uncomfortable with the gesture, but worried that forcing Richie to be this close to him was rude, since the taller man, quite rightfully, didn't even seem to like him very much after Eddie had been rude to him on every project they'd ever worked on together. He sighed, keeping an amused smile on his face as he said quietly to Richie, "Hey, I just wanted to apologize, for like a lot of things. I'm kind of harsh when I get too into a role, and I get too in my head about things if I don't think they're right?" He smiled at a camera, then looked back, seeing Richie looking straight ahead but knowing he was listening by the way he blinked more rapidly, like he was shocked Eddie knew he'd been in the wrong. "I was in a mood, when we worked together the first time, and I let it carry on too long, I don't… I like working with you, you know?"

Richie shrugged, stretching his arms out as an excuse to remove the one that was around Eddie. "Hey, no big, we don't have to be friends, right?"

Eddie blinked at him. It sucked to have his own words thrown back at him like that. He knew they were harsh, but such a clearly friendly person using them against him like that? Shit. "Yeah, I guess, I just… I don't like it when people think badly of me."

"I don't think badly of you." Richie said quietly. Eddie smiled softly up at him, ignoring the flash of cameras that he knew had caught it, before hearing him continue. "I don't think about you at all." Eddie's heart stuttered with hurt, but the way Richie stared ahead, intensely determined not to look at Eddie, and the way his hands flexed at his sides, made him think he was lying.

He swallowed and started to say something else, but the handlers ushered them along, through the entrance, and after posing for a few shots with Mike, it was time for the short to premiere, and they had to sit quietly in their seats. Eddie found his eyes drifting to the side of Richie's face as the presenter introduced their project, but as the short started, he was distracted from the Richie next to him by the Richie on film. 

The short had been shot all in one take, which had been gruelling to have to do as perfectly as possible every time, but when it was translated to the screen, it was heart wrenching and wonderful. He watched the host of emotions play across Rich- across _ Daniel's _ face as he stood at the side entrance of the church before he walked in, at the way he looked when Eddie, as Theo, had said his name behind him, the tears that formed the second he turned around. Richie was the center of every shot, right up until the ceremony started, when the camera focused on the couple and the officiant, with his character still in shot, but just the side of his face as he watched the love of his life marry someone else. The shock and wonder when Theo dropped his fiance's hands and bolted was almost palpable, and there was a hesitation, when Eddie-as-Theo launched himself into the kiss, a disbelief that this was real, that he could touch him, before Richie's hands, _ Daniel _'s hands finally reached up to cup his face, that Eddie hadn't even noticed in filming. Eddie had started to cry silently at the pure emotion on screen when Daniel had told Theo he loved him, but by the end he had his hand over his mouth, tears streaming down his face as he held back a sob. It was beautiful.

He glanced over at Richie who was smiling dazzlingly at the screen, tears dripping down his face, too, and Eddie reached out before he could stop himself, squeezing Richie's hand on the armrest to get his attention. They smiled at each other for a long moment, before Eddie let go of his hand and nudged his elbow, "That was… Richie, that was amazing! That was us, we did that! I don't know how to… that was insane!" He was yelling over the cheers as the audience rose to its feet, clapping and cheering, and they stood up and hugged quickly, both laughing, before both turning to Mike and congratulating him before they were dragged out into the press room for their junket. There was a flurry of activity, makeup artists tutting at them about their faces, red and blotchy with emotion, but Eddie couldn't bring himself to care, he was on a high from how amazing the short had been, and the standing ovation they'd received. Even if they didn't win any of the weekend's awards, he didn't care. 

Finally, the makeup artists deemed them acceptable and the interviews began. Eddie sat in between Richie and Mike on a plush couch in a room reserved for interviews that was set up to look like a cozy living room. They were told to help themselves to the refreshments set out on the long low table in front of them as the press filtered in, one by one, sitting in a high backed chair, and asked them about their process, asked Mike about his choices in directing the short the way he had, and a slew of other questions. The three men relaxed into their answers more and more as the night went on, and by the time the final interviewer entered the room, they were all lightly tipsy on champagne, and Eddie had sunk back into the cushions, cozy and content, his feet crossed and tucked under his thighs. Richie had toed off his shoes and had one foot up on the couch, his chin resting on his knee and his other leg stretched out under the table. Mike had one leg crossed over the other, his calf parallel to the floor and his foot tapping out a rhythm as they greeted the tall blonde woman who walked in for their final interview.

She turned to one of the stationary cameras that pointed her way and introduced herself. "I'm Rebecca from WatchMojo, here at San Francisco International LGBT Film Fest with Mike Hanlon, director of _ To Have and To Hold, _a short that had me sobbing in my seat, along with the two stars of the film, Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak. How are you guys tonight? Tired of interviews yet?"

"Never too tired to talk to you, Bex," Richie laughs, still good natured even though they've been at this for literal hours. 

"Always a pleasure, Tozier." Rebecca laughs with him. "I just hope I don't ask too many of the same questions as everyone else. Gotta keep you on your toes. So, like I said, your short had me just bawling, how did you guys feel, filming such a viscerally bittersweet scene in the dressing room like that? You two have chemistry off the charts, I felt like even though the characters were obviously holding themselves back, you could feel them wanting to reach out."

Eddie nodded, "I feel the same, I was crying watching it even though I was there, I played that, I knew what was happening and how it would end, but seeing it in front of me like that… it was the first of my projects that made me cry while watching it the first time. And I feel like a lot of that comes down to Mike deciding to shoot it all as one continuous take, focused on Richie's character Daniel, who is just going through so many emotions the whole time. Focusing on that, not being able to look away or distance yourself from the pure emotion, was… I definitely felt it." He rubbed his chest above his heart. It had been almost physically painful to watch every emotion that crossed Richie's face as he went through the film. 

"Mike, can you tell me a little bit about why you cast Richie as Daniel? Why you chose to cast a comedic actor in such a dramatic and emotional role?"

"Yeah, I really enjoy watching Richie, I'm a fan of both his comedy and his acting, and I wanted to explore a different side of what he could pull off, you know? I don't think anyone was expecting it, no offense, Rich," Mike looked across Eddie and smiled at Richie, who winked at him. "I feel like he really dug deep and pulled from a whole well of emotion that hit everyone throughout the film, again especially because the camera never leaves Daniel for a second." 

"Aw, Mikey, you're such a sweetheart," Richie made kissy faces at him, making Mike and Rebecca both laugh, and Eddie blush as Richie had to lean over him to get closer to Mike, bracing himself with a hand on top of Eddie's knee. When he leaned back, it stayed there. "It was definitely a challenge, though," Richie continued. "Like you said, I've always been so focused on making people laugh, but Mike and Eddie both really helped out, working with me to pull on your heartstrings. I can't imagine what it would be like to actually have to watch the love of your life marry someone else, but I think I could get close."

"Oof. I hope I never have to find that out." Rebecca grimaced. "And what made you cast Eddie opposite Richie in this short, Mike? They've worked together before, were you worried about it getting a little tired? It wasn't, you all definitely brought something new to each of the projects, but were you worried?"

"Not really. They're both amazing actors and I just feel like their chemistry hasn't been explored to its fullest extent yet." Mike chuckled.

"That… sounds like an inside joke."

"Maybe, but probably only with myself to be honest." Mike smiled conspiratorially at one of the cameras and Eddie tilted his head at him, not sure what that meant.

"Now, Richie and Eddie, you two have worked together how many times at this point?" 

_ "To Have and To Hold _ is our fourth project together." Eddie said, "Jeez. I don't know how this keeps happening." 

"Well, I love seeing the two of you on screen together, and I'm not the only one." Rebecca gestured to a tv screen next to her. "Fans have actually made compilation videos of the two of you, mostly featuring the numerous times you two have had to kiss in the rain." Clips played on the screen set to some sappy love song he didn't recognize, and he felt Richie's thumb rubbing circles into his knee. He hadn't realized it was still there. "You've kissed in the rain in every project you two have done together. How is it, having to spend so much time in the rain?"

"Cold." Eddie replied quickly, making everyone laugh. 

"Some people have said that kissing in the rain is the most romantic kind of kissing. What do you guys, who have so many times now, think about that?" 

Richie squeezed Eddie's knee before pulling away and running his hand through his curly hair and humming out a breath before coming up with an answer, "You know, I think there's something about the contrast of the warmth of the person you're holding and the chill of the rain that really… anchors you in the moment? Makes everything more vibrant and real and passionate."

Eddie looked at him, surprised by his response, before remembering he was also supposed to answer. "Yeah, I actually agree with that. It's like… you're shaking, and you don't know if it's because you're soaked to your bones and freezing or if it's because you're so desperate to kiss the person _ right now _ that you can't even wait until you're inside, out of the rain. Something about that just pulls the kiss into sharp focus. Makes it feel like it means more, you know?"

"I'll have to trust you on that, since you're the experts. I'll have to go out and find someone to kiss me in the rain, huh? Last question, because we're running out of time and I know you are all tired from doing this all day, what are you working on next? Let's start with Mike."

"I'm going to be jumping off this project actually, and filming a bunch of LGBT shorts with some other directors, not all focused on romance, but on various experiences the community goes through, for a special Netflix collection." Mike beamed, excited.

"That's awesome, I can't wait to see what else is in store, and Richie? Eddie?"

Richie startled to laugh, the giggles bubbling up from his chest and spilling out, and Eddie couldn't help but join him.

"Did… did I say something funny?"

Richie recovered enough to talk, "No, no, it's just a funny situation, because Eddie and I are actually going to be in _ another _ movie together." Richie collapsed against Eddie's shoulder in renewed laughter at the shock on Rebecca's face. "I know, what the hell, right?"

"What's it about?"

Eddie pushed the laughter down. "Uh, it's actually a little more serious this time, although, shit, it's got a romantic element to it again because apparently the world can't get enough of these two idiot faces smashed up against each other," he pointed from himself to Richie. "Actually, it's gonna be a rough one, we're soldiers in the middle of a war. Lots of action-"

"And not just lip action, bombs and shit." Richie chimed in.

"Yeah, it's… do we actually kiss this time? I feel like we should let you all figure that out when it gets released, but, it's definitely more action than I'm used to." Eddie squeezed his eyes shut and went beet red as Richie snorted at the phrase. "Shut up, Richie, you know what I meant."

"Yeah, sure Eds, you keep telling yourself that."

…

"Alexander, watch out!" Will's tall, broad shouldered form barreled into him, sending him flying to the hard, wet ground as something exploded. 

Mud and debris flew, scratching Alexander's face, but he was already crawling back toward Will, unable to hear and barely able to see through the rain and clouds of dust. "Will? Will! Where are you?" His own voice was muffled when it reached his ears, and he didn't hear a reply. He thought he heard a cough to his left, and angled himself in that direction until he hit a boot and heard Will groan at the contact. "It's me, hey, hey, look at me." The rain cleared the dust quickly, settling it back into the muddy ground, and Alexander could see Will, barely lucid and covered in blood, his eyes unfocused and his hand shaking as he tried to staunch the blood flowing from his side. Alexander let out a shocked sob and covered his mouth, "R-Richie-"

…

"Cut! Uh, Eddie?" The rain stopped when the director held up a hand and started to walk over.

Eddie looked up, eyes wet, "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I didn't… I flubbed that, I know. It just- fuck." He was breathing fast, and Richie sat up and reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Hey, Eds, it's okay, shit I think I had the same reaction when I looked in the mirror, but it's fake, okay?" Richie's hands were on his face, pulling his focus and making him make eye contact. "Breathe with me, it's not real, I'm fine." 

The director kneeled down next to them, "I'm sorry, guys, I wanted a really honest reaction by not letting you see each other in the makeup beforehand, but I didn't realize-"

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, can I get some water?" Eddie gulped in air, but didn't look away from Richie's eyes. He finally started to breathe in unison with him, slow and deep and Richie smiled. Eddie gave him a small smile back and looked away as he was handed a bottle of cold water. "Thanks," he told the set assistant, and sat back on his heels. "Gimme a sec and I can go again, I'm really sorry, I don't know why I… yeah, just… just a sec." 

Richie scooted over to him as everyone scurried around, resetting the explosion, and patted his leg, "You sure you're good? I'm sure they'd let you take a break, we have other things that can get filmed while you take a breath."

Eddie turned his head and realized Richie was closer than he'd thought, his face only a few inches from his own. He took a breath, "I-I'm fine, I just didn't love seeing you basically dead in front of me, I guess. It was… I thought… fuck, I feel like I thought something had actually gone wrong with the practical effects, I thought you were hurt, and I… it's stupid. I knew it was going to be bad, I just didn't expect it to be so real." He reached out and touched the fake wound on Richie's side.

"You… you thought I was actually hurt, and you like, immediately started to cry?" Richie's brow furrowed and he put his hand over Eddie's on his side. 

"I-I… yeah, I guess…" Eddie looked back up, away from the gore and into his eyes. 

"I didn't think you'd, uh… care that much?" His eyes were searching for some kind of answer on Eddie's face, but Eddie couldn't really give him one, he hadn't expected the reaction either.

"Of course, I- Richie, I told you I was sorry about being such a dick, I care, of course, I ca-"

"You guys ready to go again?" The director's assistant walked over.

Eddie pulled back, realizing he'd been dangerously close to curling into Richie's chest, or... Oh. He'd almost wanted to kiss Richie. Off-script. Oh, no. He looked away from Richie before he did anything stupid, "Yeah, um. I think I'm gonna need some touch up, I probably wiped the dirt wrong or something." He let the assistant help him up off the ground, not realizing Richie still had his hand around his own until he felt it slip away.

…

Alexander's hand hit a boot and he heard Will groan. "It's me, hey, hey, look at me." The dust cleared and Alexander could see Will, covered in his own blood and possibly the blood of others, his hand shaking as he tried to staunch the blood flowing into the mud from his side and his eyes failing to focus on Alexander's face. "Shit. Here, I've got a kit, we'll get you bandaged up and when they get here, they'll get you to a doctor. They said they were on their way to get us out, okay? Remember?" He thought Will nodded, but he couldn't be sure. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth as he tensed up, pain overtaking him. That wasn't a good sign, something had probably punctured one or both of his lungs. "Hang in there, Will, come on, do it for me, okay? Who else is gonna give me shit all day and keep me laughing, huh? Will?" He patted his damp cheek to get him to open his eyes.

"I… 'Xander, I-" Will gasped as another wave of pain hit, clenching his fist at his side. He took a few shallow breaths as Alexander waited for him to be able to speak again. He lifted his shaking hand to touch Alexander's cheek, tried to lean forward, tried to close the gap between them. 

Alexander realized what he wanted, and a tear joined the rain on his cheek as he leaned in to meet him halfway. Before their lips could brush, he felt Will go limp in his arms and fall back against the barricade. "No… no, no, no…" He dropped his head to Will's shoulder, shaking with sobs.

…

"Cut! That was… I need a break, that was intense. Um. Let's take fifteen, yeah?" The director scrubbed a hand over his face and sat down in his chair.

Eddie felt Richie's arms wrap around him, his head still resting on his shoulder. He sighed. This one was really rough, and Eddie hadn't really expected it. He angled his body so it fell next to Richie instead of crouching basically in the taller man's lap, but he stayed there. He felt secure, like he was grounded by his touch and didn't need to worry about the emotional scene they'd just gone through, and would have to go through again. One of Richie's hands was on the crook of his neck, his thumb rubbing soothingly back and forth under his ear. He felt Richie take a deep breath, and he mimicked him subconsciously, slowing his own breath and calming further. 

Finally he pulled back, staying shoulder to shoulder but no longer curled against him, and tilted his head back to lean against the barricade. They sat there, not speaking, but comfortable, until the director was ready to go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry oh my god. I legit cried working on this, it hurt, hot damn did it hurt. But hey, emotional progress(anyone notice the return of Richie calling Eddie nicknames?)!
> 
> Please tell me what you thought, I live for feedback and detailed comments. Or any comments, really!
> 
> This chapter has art now! Check it out here:   
https://twitter.com/cosmologier/status/1307907172114690048?s=19
> 
> Bee


	6. Vincent & Erick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know I said this was going up tomorrow but here we go.

**Richie Tozier:** _just found out were working 2gether AGAIN? wat, cant get enough of the trashmouth, eddie spaghetti?_

Eddie picked up his phone and smiled stupidly at the text notification. He and Richie had been keeping in touch since their last movie premiere, when Eddie had had a moment of drunken boldness and taken Richie's phone from him mid-sentence, programming his number into it 'since we're friends now, right?' Eddie didn't remember it at all, but Richie had texted him to make fun of him the next day, and they'd texted each other more and more frequently in the months that followed. 

Then he read the text, and his jaw dropped.  _ "What?" _ He yelped, hitting the call button and pressing the cell to his ear, running a hand through his hair as it rang.

"Howdy there, Spaghetti Man." Richie's voice came through the receiver and Eddie found himself unable to speak. They didn't talk, they texted. Eddie hadn't heard Richie's voice in months and suddenly he realized how much he'd missed it, and… and why he missed it. Missed him. Shit. This stupid crush had hit him out of nowhere after becoming actually friendly with Richie and he knew he needed to squash it before it got out of hand, but all he could think of was how nice it had been when Richie had comforted him after his panic during their last film. He'd been quiet too long and Richie sounded confused now. "Eds? You there? Or did you butt dial me? Oooh boy, am I talking to Eddie's ass now? Lucky me."

Eddie let out a laugh along with the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "I'm here, you pervert. I'm sorry, I know we don't generally talk on the phone, are you busy?"

"Nah, the orgy just left, so it's just me, chillin'. What's shakin'?" 

Eddie tried not to imagine what Richie would look like right now if he wasn't joking. Images of mussed hair, glossed over eyes, a bottom lip bitten raw in pleasure, a dark hickey on a collarbone…  _ Get it together, Kaspbrak, you've never even kissed the man in real life, what the actual fuck.  _ He swallowed, and remembered what he'd called for in the first place, "Uh, yeah, what the fuck does your text mean?"

"My nickname is Trashmouth? I thought you knew that, I could list the reasons why, if you wa-"

"No, jesus. No. Nope. I don't need any more images in my head, Rich. I meant the first bit, what the fuck do you mean we're working together again?" 

"I mean I was just gonna say I talk a lot of trash, don't know what images you were conjuring, my dear Eds." Richie laughed and Eddie blushed so hard he could feel his face heat up rapidly. He thanked anyone who was in charge of the universe that Richie couldn't see him right now. "I thought Bev and Mike would've called you my now, remember that collection of shorts Mike talked about? We both auditioned for other roles in them, yeah?"

"Yeah, but… oh my god are you doing  _ If You Leave _ with me? Are you Erick? I'm gonna have to have a chat with Beverly, I know she's behind this." Eddie had a feeling Bev had known Eddie would end up liking Richie more than he'd bargained for and that that was why she'd made them kiss so many times in their first project together, only to use the first damn take when the movie finally came out.

"Do… do you not want to work with me again, Eds? Because I can-"

_ "No, _ I love working with you, I just wasn't expecting to again so soon, I guess? And with directors we've already worked with before." Eddie sat down on his couch, pulling his legs up and fiddling with a loose string at the hem of one side of his sweats. "I'm actually excited, now. Not that I wasn't before, but I don't know. It's dumb, right? We've worked together five fucking times but like…"

"No, definitely, I know what you mean." Eddie thought he could hear the Richie's smile through the phone.

…

Rain poured down on Vincent, standing alone on Erick’s back porch while the sounds of Erick's going-away party bled through the thin apartment walls. Out here, no one could tell if his nose was red from crying or the cold, or whether or not there were tears mixing with the rain streaking down his face. He hugged his cardigan closer against himself and closed his eyes as he heard the screen door open, knowing without looking that it was Erick coming out to check on him. 

“Vin’, what the hell are you doing out here?”

He didn’t look at him, though he could feel the warmth radiating from how close he was standing. 

“I… I brought you a drink?” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Erick holding an unopened beer toward him. 

He crossed his arms tighter, still saying nothing.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you were coming. We finished the cake already, I-”

“I didn’t think you’d move to L.A. but here we are.” Vincent stared at the moon, trying to focus on not sounding like the tears were clogging his throat. “You’re going to miss my birthday, you know.”

“I’m gonna miss… a lot of things.” Erick looked hard at him, as if he were willing him to look up at him. He bit his lip and reached out to touch his shoulder, “Don’t think I’ll be missed as much, though, huh?”

Vincent flinched away from his hand before he could make contact. “Erick, don’t.  _ Please,  _ you’ll just make it worse.”

Erick took a breath, clenching his jaw. “Vincent, come on. Tell me what you want. Just… please? I need you to say it.” 

His voice was so soft, and Vincent closed his eyes, the pain too much. He couldn’t. He opened them and looked up at Erick, finally, opening his mouth with no sound before closing it again.

Erick pulled him gently to face him, a hand on each of his shoulders. “Ask me, Vin’”

_ “No.” _ Vincent’s bottom lip quivered as he choked out the single syllable.

“I’d stay, if  _ you _ asked me to. I wouldn’t even hesitate and you know it.” Erick’s hands flexed on Vincent’s shoulders for a brief second before his hands slid down, catching at his wrists before letting go. 

“Erick.” He shook his head, unable to say more.

“I’ll make it easy.” Erick looked down, away from Vincent’s eyes, gathering his courage before looking up again, one hand reaching out to softy run his thumb along his jaw before settling on his left shoulder again. “Don’t let me go. I’m right here. If you want me, if I’m not… imagining this. Don’t let me walk away.”

“I-” Vincent gasped out a breath, “Erick, I can’t. It’s not fair.”

“I’m… I’m literally offeri-” Erick scoffed. “Fine. I guess I was wrong. I thought… fine. I’m just going to go back inside.” He looked at Vincent for a long second before turning and walking away from him.

Vincent shot his hand out to grab Erick's hand, but slipped on the wet porch and couldn't right himself before he fell,  _ "Fuck."  _ Eddie hit the wood of the porch with a wet slap and Richie spun around, leaning down to help him up.

…

"Cut! Eddie, are you good?" Bev said as Richie helped him up, both of them laughing already.

"Really fell for me there, huh, Eds?" Richie said through his low chuckles, looking at the palms of Eddie's hands to make sure he hadn't scraped them too badly.

"In your dreams, Trashmouth." Eddie giggled hysterically, nerves bubbling up as Richie tenderly prodded at his hands.

"Alright, guys, can we cut the flirting and get this scene filmed?" Mike laughed. "You two are the bookends of the collection, this is the first short, it sets the tone for the rest of the series, with  _ To Have and To Hold _ rounding it out at the end. We picked you two for a reason, can you act like serious performers for five minutes?" He said it all with a smile, teasing them while also reminding them of their jobs. He turned to Bev and said in a stage whisper, "They were so much easier to work with when they barely got along." Bev cracked up, throwing her head back and laughing, along with some of the crew members that they had worked with on other projects. 

Eddie cleared his throat and brushed his hands off on his pants, blushing.

…

Erick pulled Vincent around to face him, hands on both his shoulders. “Ask me, Vin'”

_ “No.” _ Vincent chewed on his bottom lip, brows furrowed.

“I’d stay, if you asked. If  _ you _ asked. I wouldn’t even hesitate and you know it.” Erick tilted his head, eyes pleading, and ran his hands down Vincent's arms before letting go

“Erick.” He shook his head, unable to say more than one syllable at a time without choking up.

“I’ll make it easy.” Erick squeezed his eyes shut and looked up at the clouds, the rain falling across the planes of his cheeks, before looking back down at Vincent. He lifted a hand, almost reaching Vincent's cheekbone before dropping away without touching him. “Don’t let me go. I’m right here. If you want me, if I’m not… imagining this. Don’t let me walk away. Or let me, and I'll know.”

“I-” Vincent shook his head again, “Erick, I can’t. It’s not fair.”

“I’m literally offering to-” Erick scoffed and ran a hand over his face before looking down at his feet. “Fine. I guess I was wrong. I thought… fine. I’m just going to go back inside.” He looked at Vincent for a long second before turning and starting to leave.

Vincent caught his hand and spun him back around, pulling them chest to chest and surging up to catch his lips with his own. Erick sunk into the kiss, relieved, his hands reaching for Vincent's cheeks and feeling him smile under his fingers as their lips moved together. Vincent ran his hands up from Erick's elbows to wrap lightly around his wrists keeping him close, feeling his heartbeat stutter at the pulse points under his thumbs. 

…

"Cut!"

Richie's right thumb rubbed back and forth under Eddie's left ear as he tilted his head again, biting Eddie's bottom lip softly. Eddie's hands gripped Richie's wrists to keep them on his face, and gasped at the pressure on his lip, letting Richie slip his tongue over the sensitive exposed skin on the inside of his lip after he had bit it. Bev's cue finally reached Eddie's ears, several seconds late, and he opened his eyes, breathing hard and pulling back from Richie. 

He wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he thought Richie chased his lips before blinking his eyes open and looking around.

The rain machine had already been turned off while they weren’t paying attention, and as Eddie dropped his hands to his sides, letting go of Richie and taking a half step back, he saw Bev smirking at him. He checked to make sure Richie wasn’t looking at him then turned to her and mouthed  _ ‘shut. up.’  _ as Richie was distracted grabbing blankets from a side table. She rolled her eyes and turned to Mike to go over notes.

Richie walked back over, none the wiser, and handed Eddie a soft gray blanket, wrapping a red one around himself. Eddie smiled awkwardly at him in thanks and wiped some saliva from his bottom lip, unsure of whether it was his own or Richie’s, before swinging the blanket over his shoulders and pulling it tight. 

Richie looked at Eddie, watched him stare at his feet as he shuffled back and forth, but looked away when he thought Eddie might catch him.

Eddie tilted his head to look over at Richie, who was staring up into the soundstage rafters. His face looked a little pink, and Eddie wondered if it was because the faux rain was cold or for some other reason. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOFT SOFT SOFT SOFT
> 
> Please tell me what you think! Can't wait to hear from you!
> 
> Bee


	7. Eddie & Richie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally.

Eddie had been pacing in his hotel room for an hour after the day's shoot had ended. He felt like he could still feel Richie’s hands on his face, and he was probably imagining it but he thought he could still taste him on his lips. 

He was so fucked.

He stopped pacing and sat down on the couch, rubbing his hands over his face. He’d already run his hands through his hair so many times it was sticking up in the most ridiculous way, and he thought he might start pulling it out if he wasn’t careful. He sighed. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about how carried away he’d gotten kissing Richie during  _ If You Leave.  _ He hadn’t even heard Bev yell cut, he just kept going, wanting to savor Richie’s lips on his own, and he’d already gotten several texts from both Bev and Mike about it.

**Beverly Marsh: ** hey hey hey

**Beverly Marsh: ** did you make a real move yet or are you being a chicken

**Mike Hanlon: ** Hey so uh Bev is cackling at me while we go over notes and you and Richie are very pointedly not looking at each other at the same time are you good?

**Beverly Marsh:** eddie

**Beverly Marsh:** eddie

**Beverly Marsh:** eddie

**Beverly Marsh:** eddie

**Mike Hanlon:** I know I teased you guys during the WatchMojo interview but I just want you to be happy I just also think you guys could be happy together? 

**Beverly Marsh:** did you

**Beverly Marsh:** eddie

**Beverly Marsh: ** where are you guys did you run away together

**Mike Hanlon:** If I upset you I’m sorry

**Beverly Marsh: ** Okay I’m being serious now. As evidenced by proper capitalization and punctuation and shit. 

**Beverly Marsh: ** Eddie, sweetie, you know you have to tell him. I think you know it’s gonna work out. 

Eddie threw his phone onto the bed with a groan. Bev was too insightful, could see straight through him. He looked out the window at the rain streaming steadily down the glass.

He'd read her last message over and over. Maybe she was right.

Staring at his phone over on the bed, he realized there was only one way to find out. He shot back up onto his feet and walked out the door, disregarding the fact he'd forgotten his phone, jacket, and room key.

…

The cab pulled up to Richie's townhouse, wipers sliding smoothly and quickly back and forth, and Eddie took a deep breath. Paying the driver, he stepped out into the rain, which had grown on the way over from a steady sprinkle to a heavy pour. He chuckled at the irony, and decided to take it as a sign to push forward.

He looked up at the light coming from the front room downstairs, shakily inhaling as he heard the cab drive away. He flexed his hands and shook some of the water off of them as he walked across the deserted street to Richie's door, walking up the three steps to the landing.

"Okay, okay, come on, Kaspbrak, you can do this, just knock on his fucking door." Eddie tilted his head back, closing his eyes and blowing out a harsh breath before raising a shaking hand to knock twice.

He wanted to run away immediately, but he was frozen on the landing.

The doorknob turned slowly before the door swung open, revealing Richie, wearing a baggy gray shirt that said  _ 'My dog thinks I'm kind of a big deal',  _ his phone in his hand. "Uh… hey, Eds."

Eddie was immediately distracted by his shirt, "You have a dog?"

Richie looked confused. "No? Wha-" He looked down at his shirt and chuckled, "Oh, right. No. I found this at a Wal-Mart for like four bucks, thought it was funny. What are you doing at my house, Eddie?" He said softly, tucking his phone in the pocket of his sweats.

"Right. Um. Well, shit, I don't know, I thought…" Eddie groaned, turning around for a second before turning back to look at Richie. "No. I'm not gonna be a fucking coward, for once in my life."

"You're not a coward, Eds. You're braver than you think." Richie blinked at him, still looking confused. He reached out like he was going to touch him, but his hand fell back to his side before he made contact. "What's going on?"

"I-" Eddie could feel his breath coming in quick bursts, and tried to calm down.

"Do you want to come in? You're getting pretty soaked out there." Richie stepped back, opening the door wider.

"No, the gods of fucking irony or weather or whatever are clearly on my side here, and I have to say this." He scratched at his temple nervously.

"O-kay then, go ahead, Spaghetti Man." Richie leaned against the door jamb.

"Don't- Why do you call me that, it's not even derivative of my actual name!" Eddie chopped his hand toward Richie, before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, "No, you know what, I don't care, that's not… look." Eddie looked up at him, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I know I was an asshole the first… uh, several times we worked together. But it was never justified, I get really in my head, and I took it out on you, and I wish I hadn't, because it's my fault it took so long to get… here. Not here, on your porch, but here… with you. Like I want to be. That doesn't make any sense, does it? What I mean is that I… I'm- fuck, I like you, you know?"

Richie's eyes shifted rapidly across Eddie's face. "I mean, yeah, I know that, we're friends now, it's cool, we're good, dude. I-"

"No, dammit, I… maybe Bev was wrong for telling me this was a good idea. Maybe I'm an idiot, I just thought… It feels like… because of these movies, we’ve lived so many lives together. And it… this is sappy as shit, do not make fun of me for saying this, but, it made me realize that I want to... live  _ this _ life… with you. Earlier, when Bev and Mike yelled cut, and we didn't… we didn't stop kissing, or, I didn't stop kissing you, I barely heard her, I was so focused on you, I wanted to keep kissing you, and I thought, maybe it wasn't just me, maybe you felt the same, but clearly I was wrong, I just have a stupid one-sided crush, so I'm just going to go call a fucking cab and go back to my hotel," he searched his pockets, not looking at Richie, and realized he didn't have his phone. He closed his eyes. "Is there a payphone around here somewhere? I-"

Richie stepped out onto the porch into the rain, shaking his head and smiling.

Eddie stepped back, his foot slipping on the next stair down before he steadied himself, "What are you doing, you're getting all wet." He looked up at Richie, realizing he'd actually been the one to steady him before he fell, holding onto his arms to brace him. He dipped his head down until he was about an inch away from Eddie's face, a stray curl dripping water onto the shorter man's forehead as he blinked up at him. "Richie?"

"Shh." He reached up and cupped Eddie's jaw, skimming his fingers across the sensitive skin of his neck. He leaned closer, their noses bumping as he pressed their foreheads together. 

Eddie gasped, tipping his head up, their lips nearly brushing, "Richie, please." He reached up and wove his fingers into the curls at the nape of Richie's neck, pressing their chests together.

"Gimme a sec, I've been waiting for this, let me savor it." He wrapped an arm around Eddie's waist pulling him up onto his toes.

"You-" Eddie whimpered as Richie interrupted him, finally pressing their lips together and sucking Eddie's bottom lip between his teeth. It was a good thing Richie was holding him up because he could feel his knees turning to jelly beneath him. He pulled on the curls wrapped around his fingers, drawing a groan from him. He'd have to remember that. He changed the angle while Richie was distracted, tasting his bottom lip and gasping harshly as Richie responded by tangling their tongues together, his hand bunching the back of Eddie's shirt in his fist before he pulled back, flushed. Eddie smiled up at him, "Been waiting on me, huh?"

"Glad I did." Richie looked up at the clouds still pouring rain down on them. "We've only ever kissed in the rain, have you noticed?"

"Let's fix that." Eddie pushed him back into his house, both of them grinning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for making it this far with me, I haven't written a full, chaptered fic in a long long time, and I'm really grateful for all your comments. I'm working on a few other things at the moment, not sure which one I'll start posting next but I'll be back with more Richie/Eddie soon!
> 
> I'd love to hear what you though of this, please leave a comment! 
> 
> Bee

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me @afoolforsure on twitter, I'll be posting stuff about upcoming projects there, feel free to reach out!
> 
> Bee


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